Self-Portrait c. 18th century

Editor: This is an anonymous "Self-Portrait" from the Harvard Art Museums. I'm struck by the apparent age of the paper and ink. How does the materiality inform our reading of it? Curator: Well, the materials themselves—the paper, the ink, the very act of drawing—speak to a specific kind of labor and production. It’s handmade, requiring skill and time. Consider the social context that allowed for such production. Editor: What do you mean by "social context?" Curator: Who had the resources, the leisure, to create a self-portrait like this? And what does that tell us about the artist's position in society and who they were creating it for? Editor: I hadn't considered that. Thinking about the materials shifts the focus from the individual to broader social dynamics. Curator: Precisely. It allows us to examine the art as a product of its time, influenced by available materials and social structures. Editor: I see now how the 'simple' act of drawing involves a whole world of labor and consumption. Thanks.